Reducing Fraud and Abuse in Entitlement Programs - An Evaluative Perspective

• NCJ Number: 79992
• Journal: GAO Review Volume: 16 Issue: 3 Dated: (Summer 1981) Pages: 29-33
• Author(s): E Chelimsky
• Date Published: 1981
• Length: 5 pages
• Sale Source: National Institute of Justice/
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

This article discusses the failure of current strategies to reduce fraud and waste in Government entitlement programs and then suggests ways to design effective safeguards and promote the energetic pursuit of these white collar crimes.

Abstract

Most attempts to combat fraud and abuse in entitlement programs have addressed specific problems rather than concentrating on program design weaknesses which present opportunities for fraud and abuse. This can be attributed to a failure to recognize that public assistance programs are increasingly vulnerable to fraud because there was a lack of expertise regarding evaluation planning when many programs were created in the 1960's and because there are bureaucratic conflicts between assistance-focused social workers and enforcement-focused justice practitioners. An obvious solution is to build controls into the program process, beginning with a basic design that minimizes vulnerability to abuse. Deterrent strategies should be delineated and techniques for detection established, such as surveys or financial audits. Adequate definitions of what constitutes fraud and abuse must be formulated and applied uniformly. In this context, the role of the auditor in detection should be clarified. Finally, data bases should be developed to ensure a reasonable understanding of problem sizes and patterns, allow program design corrections, and facilitate comparisons across jurisdictions. Although computer-based management systems can help detect fraud, social service personnel need special training in these techniques. Fraud and abuse have not been prosecuted energetically, and cooperation between service delivery personnel and justice staff has been poor. The current state of knowledge about fraud and abuse contains major gaps. Moreover, the evaluative research that exists has serious methodological problems which limit its utility. The article includes nine references.